32 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. IV. 



while Neognathce and Palwognathce are just as futile terms. 

 Consideration of the living forms has led us to accept three 

 divisions, viz., Dromceornithes, Impennes and Euornithes, as 

 being a reasonable compromise, though we anticipate the 

 absolute rejection of the first named and their dispersal among 

 the Euornithes at a later stage ; but we cannot see where the 

 Impennes can be placed with any degree of satisfaction, as 

 they differ in toto from all other existing birds. 



Before proceeding further we must state that we are 

 omitting from this classification the fossil forms, as we are 

 quite unable to place them with any degree of accuracy in 

 connection with living species. V^e absolutely disagree with 

 those who would not study them at all in conjunction with 

 recent forms, but we cannot see enough data to determine 

 any near relationships. Probably each fossil represents an 

 order, as these are used to-day, while the characters of such 

 fossils as are well known are least useful. We recognise that 

 an Avian " Order " is a group of little value in comparison 

 with a Mammalian or Reptihan " Order," but the elimination 

 of order and supersession by supersuborder does not attract 

 us. Neither does suborder and superfamily avail us much if 

 these be used in the same manner. We here propose a series 

 of Orders, few in number, but divided into many suborders 

 (these being what have been sometimes termed Orders) and 

 in a few cases superfamilies are noted. As a matter of fact 

 to the speciahst the more divisions the easier the work, and 

 the more exact the application thereof. 



Thus in the subclass Dromseornithes the generally ranked 

 Orders Struthiones, Rhese and Casuarii are retained by us, the 

 last named being divided into two famihes, the Casuariidse 

 and Dromiceiidse. 



The subclass Impennes covers one Order, Sphenisci, 

 which may be divided into two famihes, the Spheniscidse and 

 Aptenodytidse. We regard this series as ranging from 

 Eudyptula through Spheniscus in one direction and by means 

 of Eudyptes into Megadyptes in the other. In the other family 

 we place Pygoscelis below Aptenodytes, and in so doing find we 

 are in agreement with both ornithotomists and ornithologists. 



